Flexible tube and connection.



PATEN'I'ED MAY 30, 1905.

A. W. NIGEOLLS.

FLEXIBLE TUBE AND CONNECTION.

APPLIOATION FILED .TUNE I, 1904.

INVENTOR Zzeff WJVZCMZZ@ may IINTTED STATES Iatented May 30, 1905. l

PATENT OEETCE.

TO F. I. NOERA, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

FLEXIBLE vTUBE AND CONNECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,971, dated May 30,1905. `Application filed June l, 1904:. Serial No. 210,692.

1'0 {1J/Z 1,071,071?, if ncty concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. NrcHoLLs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Tubes andConnections, of which the following is a specication.

This invention relates to flexible tubing, with particular reference tocomparatively short lengths of iiexible tubing which provide adetachable and adjustable connection between a portable heat or lightgenerating burner and a fixed source of fuel-supply. As is well known,the yielding and elastic nature 'of such tubing permits of the moving ofthe lamp, stove, or other device at the discharge end of the tube toalmost any point within the circle which may be described with thepermanent connection as a center and the tube as a radius. This iiexibletube, however, while capable of sharp curvature, cannot be abruptly bentat an angle without causing not only a temporary collapse of thetube-body at the angle and a consequent closure of the channel, but apermanent impairment of the necessary elasticity of the material at thatpoint. Such abrupt bending rarely occurs at points intermediate of theends of the tube, but is likely to and frequently does occur at or nearone or the other of the points of attachment, due to the gradually-increasing rigidity of the tube toward either connection.

This invention contemplates simple means for preventing collapse of thetube, due to bending at points most exposed to lateral strains, and,further, improved means for detachably connecting each end of the tubeto the lamp or burner and to the fixed. hose-cock, respectively. Thisflexible tubing is generally marketed in graduated lengths, which areequipped with what are known as the "lamp and hose-cock connections.

One object of the present invention is therefore to provide connectionswhich may readily be secured to and removed from the tubing by any oneof ordinary intelligence without the employment of a skilled workman,thereby permitting of the purchase of the tubing alone in any lengthdesired and without the connections, which may be applied by thepurchaser, enabling him to utiliZe connections from tubing which hasbeen worn out or has been otherwise rendered unfit for further service.

My invention consists generally in novel means for reinforcing theresistance of the tube-body to lateral strains, in making thereinforcing means removable, in novel means for combining or joining theconnection and the reinforcing means in a connection so equipped, and ina flexible tube provided with any one or more of the above features.

My invention further consists in various other novel details ofconstruction and in combination of parts, all as hereinafter more fullydescribed, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which I have illustrated a practical andconvenient embodiment thereof, and in Which- Figure l is a centrallongitudinal section, part broken away, of a flexible tube having endconnections embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectionsubstantially on the line w of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view, partly insection, of one connection equipped with the tube-reinforcing means.Fig. 4 is asimilar view of the other connection.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, numeral 2 refers to a sectionof flexible tubing, which may be of any desired character orconstruction, the one shown comprising the rubber center 3 and theexterior protecting braid or fabric 4:, preferably with the usual thingelatin coat therebetween. This tubing may be manufactured in very longlengths, from which may be cut from time to time shorter lengths adaptedfor the particular conditions of practical use. As is well known, oneend of this tube is designed to be connected with in a manner to form aflexible continuation of a permanent supply-pipe, such as one of theburners of a chandelier from which the tip has been removed or ahose-cock projecting through the wall or otherwise from any pipe inwhich gas is under pressure from the the tube 2. To make this connectiondetach-l able, easily manipulated by one not skilled in this line, andstill safely gas-tight, I prefer to employ a short length of metallic,preferably brass, tubing 6, substantially one-half of which isfrictionally held within the bore of l the heavy tube 5 by theelasticity of the material. The other portion thereof projectslongitudinally from the said member 5 and is adapted to be similarlyinserted into the smooth bore of the tube 2, the diameters of thesemembers being such that the metal tube 6 is similarly frictionally heldwith reasonable security within the tube 2.

Adapted to be snugly fitted over the end of the tube 2 is a metallic,preferably nickel or brass, ferrule 7, which is cylindrical throughoutthat portion of its length overlying and snugly embracing the extremityof the tube 2, at the end of which, however, it is contracted to smallerdiameter and then expanded to form a wedge or cone shaped receptacle 8for the extremity 9 of the member 5, which is correspondingly shaped tointerfit therein. I have found that'this construction provides aperfectly gas-tight joint the permanency and efficiency of which,however, may be enhanced through the employment of alittle liquid glue.This heavy rubber connection 5, as is well known, is designed to be bypressure snugly fitted upon and over the usual stepped or wedge-shapedhose -cock, the natural elasticity of the rubber insuring a gas-tighttemporary joint. Attachment to the supply-pipe of the lamp, stove, orburner is usually of a more permanent character, including a metalconnection which is provided with either exterior. or interiorscrewthreads meshing with interior or exterior screw-threads upon theprojecting extremity of the supply-duct leading to the burner. Toprovide a detachable connection of this character, I have shown aymetallic tube 10, having screwthreads 11, which, while shown interior ofsaid tube in the drawings, may obviously be either interior or exterior,depending upon the character of the coperating member in the portableburner. A portion of this metallic tube 10 is adapted to be insertedWithin the bore of the tube 2 and held therein with reasonable securityby the elasticity of the tube-body. Cooperating with the tube 10 is theferrule 12, which, similar to the ferrule 7, is cylindrical throughout aportion of its length and adapted to overlie and embrace the end of thetube 2. This ferrule 12 is similarly contracted at the extremity of thetube 2 to a diameter approximately equal to an exterior diameter of themetal tube 10,' so that there will be a certain amount of frictionalresistance to relative sliding movement. An

annular substantially wedge-shaped chamber is thus formed between thesemembers adapted to securely contain the end of the tube 2.

In the above I have described simple forms ofdetachable connectionsembodying in themselves distinct improvements; but I prefer to furtherincrease the efliciency of the device by providing means for reinforcingthe resistance of the tube-body near the extremities thereof to lateralstrains, which tend to collapse said body and completely or partially toclose the channel therein. For this purpose I employ a comparativelyshort coil 13, of

spring-wire, the diameter of the coil being` slightly less than thediameter of the bore of tube 2 and which when inserted into said tube isnon-interferent with the flexible character of said tube, and yetabsolutely prevents the yabrupt bending or collapsing of the tubeocdental pressure, and thus be rendered unfit for use, while tubinghaving no wire at its center will yield to direct pressure to the pointof complete collapse and return to its original condition at once uponrelease from the pressure.

In the present invention the tube 2 has a perfectly smooth bore topoints near either extremity thereof, the reinforcing-coil 13 beingemployed only where there is greatest liability to abrupt bending andcollapse. For

convenience I prefer to make each reinforcing-coil a part of itsadjacent connection. In this manner I provide for the withdrawal of thecoil from the tube when the connection is removed, whereby the tubealone may be easily and readily renewed at any time. In this manner Ialso insure these coils being retained in their proper positions at theends of the tube. I therefore prefer to secure one of the coils 13 tothe metallic tube 10 at one end of the tube 2 and the other coil to andwithin the rubber connection 5 at the other end of the tube 2. Thesemembers may obviously be joined or held together in many ways. I havefound, however, that the simplest and best manner of carrying out thisidea is by expanding one end of the coil 13 to form a cone orbell-shaped extremity 14. This extremity may be forced into the tube l0,although the diameter of the bore of said tube is considerably less thanthe greatest diameter of the enlarged portion of the coil. An annulargroove or socket 15 IOO may be provided within the tube 10, into whichthe enlarged extremity of the coil 13 will expand and cannot besubsequently removed therefrom without destroying the coil. At the otherend of the tube 2 similar insertion of the enlarged end 14C of a coil 13may be forced into the metal tube 6 and through the same, and when theinterior extremity of said tube 6 is reached the enlarged end 14 of saidcoil will force itself against and into the soft rubber of Which themember 5 is made and similarly resist effort to Withdraw except uponapplication of force sufcient to destroy thc coil.

Attention is particularly directed to the fact that my improved tubingmay be employed between a hanging chandelier and a tablelamp without theemployment of what is known as goosenecln the only function of 'which isto avoid collapse of the tube when it is bent for connection with theelevated ixture.

Many modifications of minor details of my improved iexible tubing andconnections will doubtless readily suggest themselves to those skilledin the art to which it appertains, and 1 therefore do not desire tolimit my invention to the specific construction herein shown anddescribed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent-- 1. In combination, a iiexible tube, a detachableconnection, and a removable Wire coil secured to said connection.

2. The combination, with a flexible tube, of a detachable connection anda coil of wire secured to said connection free of and projecting intosaid tube.

3. The combination, with a flexible tube, of a detachable connection anda coil of wire free within said tube and having a flared or expanded endengaging the interior wall of said connection.

4C. A connection for flexible tubes comprising a sleeve ofelastically-yielding material, a rigid tube partially inserted andfrictionally held within said sleeve, and means projecting from saidrigidtube for reinforcing the iexible tube-body against collapsingstrains.

5. A connection for iiexible tubes comprising a sleeve ofelastically-yielding material, a rigid tube partial-ly inserted and heldwithin said yielding member, and a wire coil projecting from said rigidtube.

6. A connection for flexible tubes comprising a sleeve ofelastically-yielding material, a rigid tube partially inserted and heldwithin said sleeve, and a wire coil having an expanded end engaging' theyielding interior wall of said sleeve, said coil extending through andprojecting from said rigid tube.

In testimony of the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand in thepresence of two witnesses.

ALBERT W. NICHOLLS. Witnesses:

AGNES L. CLUNE, J. F. CAVANAGH.

